Biomechanical analysis of lower limb movements of badminton players before and after intense exercise

Abstract

Objective: At present, there are few studies that systematically investigate the coordinated changes in the kinematics, dynamics, and overall stability control of multiple joints in the lower limbs under the fatigue program of badminton. This paper aimed to explore the effects of intense exercise on the left and right lunges of badminton players. Methods: Twenty badminton players from Shandong University of Political Science and Law completed three left lunge movements and three right lunge movements before and after intense exercise, with the right lower limb as the unified support under all conditions. Kinematic and dynamic data were collected simultaneously for two-factor repeated-measures analysis of variance (intense exercise × lunge direction) in SPSS 23.0. Results: The main effect of the lunge direction and the interaction effect of movement × direction did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05) for all joint angles and torque indicators, indicating that the fatigue effect of intense exercise is consistent under left and right lunge conditions. Regarding the main effect of movement, the hip flexion angle significantly decreased (p = 0.024), and the hip adduction and external rotation both increased (p = 0.008, p = 0.021); the knee internal rotation increased (p = 0.017); the ankle eversion increased (p = 0.034); the hip extension torque (p = 0.018) and adduction torque (p = 0.015), the knee flexion torque (p = 0.016) and adduction torque (p = 0.012), and the ankle inversion torque (p = 0.021) all significantly decreased. The anterior–posterior velocity of the body’s center of mass (p = 0.005), the vertical displacement range (p = 0.014), and the margin of stability (p = 0.008) were all significantly reduced. Conclusion: After intense exercise, the angles and torques of the lower limb joints of the subjects change. This may be associated with an increased risk of lower limb injuries under fatigue conditions, and it can provide a reference for the design of specialized gait training and injury prevention programs.

Keywords

badminton player / biomechanics / dynamics / gait movement / intense exercise / kinematics / sports injury

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